


The Unknown life of Cedric Diggory

by Shockblanket



Series: The unknown story of Cedric Diggory [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: F/M, Novel, lifestory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-10 08:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shockblanket/pseuds/Shockblanket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Behind every fallen hero lays a forgotten story. What would have happened when Cedric Diggory never died?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express

It was the 27th of August, start of a new year at Hogwarts. At least, for Cedric Diggory it was. The sun just had risen when he arrived on platform 9 3/4 together with his dad, Amos Diggory. His father was a man of time. Or more, a man of being way to early. It wasn't crowded yet, only a few nervous looking first years. Cedric watched them smiling. It seemed so long ago he was like them and still it was only a year. His father stood beside him, watching his handsome and talented son with a proud look in his eyes.  
'You remember, you're the best seeker they have. Make sure you'll get your place in the winning team.'  
He avoided the name Hufflepuff, still hoping his son would miraculously switch over to Griffindor or Slytherin. The fourth house, friendly to all. Amos Diggory did not care about being friendly, only about reaching his goal.  
'Yes dad, I promise.' Cedric sounded quite uninterested, but it was all defense against the high standards of his father.  
'But how important Quidditch will be for you, don't forget to study and get great marks. Even if it doesn't interest you, do it at least to...'  
'Keep the name of our family high. I know, I know.' The boy sighed, looking to his dad from the corner of his eyes. Slowly, more people came to the Platform, and he waved to a group of giggling girls that passed. Only because he was bored to death here.  
His father remained quiet for a while as he studied his son like this. Several people came to greet the boy and asked him how his summer had been. He gave them all a mumbling answer, though his smile turned cheerful as soon as he could return the question. He asked his friends if they did anything nice, where they had been and they all answered cocky, showing off but secretly pleased he asked. They made him laugh, and his father stood beside him. Cedric wished he would just go, his dad always made him a little uncomfortable.  
Another group of girls passed, though these were not giggling. Shy and almost invisible they moved over the platform, dragging their suitcases behind them. New students, they did not wear one of the colors of the Hogwarts houses yet, which meant they still had to be sorted.  
At the end of the row, a fragile looking Chinese girl caught Cedric's eye. She hopped along with a large suitcase which seemed to be a little worn off already. Nevertheless she smiled a cheerful smile when she passed him, clearly looking forward to her first year. He followed her movements, looking at her bright smile and a sparkle appeared in his greenish friendly eyes. He just had to curl his mouthcorners. Cedric Diggory smiles a real smile this time. He watched the remarkable young girl till she disappeared in the crowd, reminding himself of finding out who she was.  
'Cedric!' He felt two hands on his shoulder, shocked and then he laughed.  
'David!' he called out quite loudly. 'I told you, you couldn't do that ever again!'  
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...' his best friend pulled a pretty serious face before he bursted out in laughter again.  
'Stop it!' groaned Cedric, giving David a gentle push in the direction of his suitcase. 'It's just a miracle, three minutes here and annoying already!'  
'And you still need to bare it the whole year! And the year after, and after, and after... isn't it brilliant?' David grinned, and he almost seemed to be proud. 'But I did not hopped into your direction to annoy you.'  
Cedric rolled his eyes and sighed once again. After that, though, he plated his teeth into his lip right away, starting to chew it.  
'I saw you smile.' continued his friend, still grinning. 'A real Diggory-smile. Where did it came from so suddenly?'  
'Is it a crime to smile?'  
'Depends on what caused it.' said David cheerful and he chuckled by seeing Cedrics annoyed look.  
'Nothing, I just smiled.'  
'Off course...why do I so... not believe that.' The other boy raised an eyebrow and sighed dramatically. 'The impossible talented, serious, popular and handsome Cedric Diggory who just smiles? Because of nothing? No way.'  
'David..' Cedrics voice grew warning, signing to his dad, who stood talking with Lucius Malfoy. 'Later, please?'  
His friend muttered, but mumbled understanding after, though he grinned. Cedric watched him with raised eyebrows, shaking his head then.  
'Was it a girl?' whispered David teasing.  
Cedric hit him on the head with one of his heavy spellbooks, groaning.  
'Oh, just shut it...'

'So, my son. Ready for another year?' Amos Diggory was done talking with Malfoy and gave both Cedric as his friend a content look, as he always did when something pleased him.  
'David Rankin, if I'm not mistaken? The son of Charlotte?'  
And that sentence led into Cedric, rolling his eyes once again while his father shook Davids hand, brabbeling about all the work he did together with Charlotte Rankin on the ministry. He couldn't have been more glad when the whistle of the train finally sounded. They had to get in.  
'Come on.' He said and he started to pull David along to the Hogwarts Express. But before he managed to get away his father pulled him already into a tight hug.  
'Bye son.' Amos Diggory mumbled. 'Take good care of yourself.'  
A little ashamed, but also pretty touched by this sudden change in his fathers behavior, Cedric tried to free himself from the embrace. He assured his dad it would be a great year, and that they could expect him home for Christmas. Then he let go, disappeared into the crowd together with David. He left his father a little uncomfortable.  
'Man, being hugged by your dad...in public.' groaned David.  
'I know, I know... just forget it.'  
David had to laugh, but this time Cedric was really annoyed and he walked a little faster, ahead of his friend. His new suitcase he dragged behind him, the cage with his owl Mercurius in one hand.  
'Ah, come on...Ced...'  
'Cedric.' he reacted.  
'Come on, Cedric.'  
'Just leave me alone for a moment, alright?' sighed the Hufflepuff boy and he dragged his stuff into an empty compartment. He was grumbling gentle to himself. Slowly he sank down on one of the chairs, sighing softly and almost tired. The compartment remained empty for a moment, and he appreciated that. The feeling of being alone, the silence. But soon he was not alone anymore. David had the great annoying threat to ignore all of Cedrics orders and fell down in the chair next to his friend, which made a cracking sound.  
'You've eaten to much.' Cedric joked humorless, knowing he could not offend his friend with such a thing, David being two heads taller than he was himself. And besides, he looked so thin you could break him in two pieces easily.  
'Yes, 20 barbecues in one summer and you get such a thing.' David answered dead serious.  
That's when they both knew it was alright again. They had known each other for such a longtime that both understood exactly what to say to get over a short fight.  
'Ced! David!'  
'Cedric.' Said Cedric almost at instant. He always preferred his whole name above that silly short one. Ced reminded him way to much of sad. He looked up from his fingers he had been playing with, so did David.  
'Fred and George, already coming to make Hogwarts way less safe!'  
'You're absolutely right.' said Fred proud. Or at least, there was an F on his sweater, obviously made by Molly. But you could never be sure with those twins. Cedric had known them for ages already. They lived near to him, at the other side of the hill. This summer again, they spent loads of time together playing Quidditch. The twins were excellent players, though great jokers as well. Their biggest hobby was scaring their younger brother Ronald, who was slightly clumsy and terrified by spiders.  
'Afraid for the sorting hat already?'  
'Nope.' the two boys said at exactly the same time, plumbing down on the two leftover chairs.  
'We'll be in Griffyndor, be sure of that.' said George.  
'Which means, Diggory,' followed his brother. 'that you have to miss our brilliant Quidditch skills in your Hufflepuff team.'  
Cedric huffed, grinning.  
'I'm good enough to win every match on my own.'  
David bursted out in such a laughter Cedric became red, looking ashamed to his friend.  
'Well, I am pretty good!' he sounded defensive.  
'You're not even in the team yet, silly boy!' called David out while ruffling through his friends hair.  
'Stop that!' Cedric pushed his hands away teasing and groaned, boyish and searching for popularity as he still was there days. In the first year he already gained friends and status, being handsome and everyone had to admit he was a very talented young wizard.  
The train started moving already, and Cedric stood up, throwing open the window and sticking his head outside. He inhaled the fresh air and on some way it made him feel free. He looked to the new students, waving at their parents. After his gaze drifted to the left, he suddenly saw her again. The little Chinese girl, with her long strings of black, satinlike hair. Cedric felt like he had found what he had been searching for, even though that search was not on purpose.  
From so close he saw her beauty. She looked more mature than the other girls and she was not waving. Cedric watched the parents on the platform for a moment. No one looked like her. She was whistling a song, the parents slowly disappeared out of sight and so did the waving students disappear, returning to their seats. But she remained right there at the window, and so did Cedric. She, the beauty, did not know he was there, kept on whistling, clearly enjoying the air stroking her face and he felt like he could watch this for ages. Shame, it took his friend David too long and a loud voice sounded.  
'Cedric!'  
His unknown beauty shocked, stared to the right and found Cedric's shocked face, before he pulled back swiftly, hitting his head hard to the half open window. David laughed out loud, petting his back and telling him he should not dream so often.  
'Talking about dreaming...' Cedric grumbled. 'It'll take a while till we arrive, I can dream away for a moment.'

He felt tired, as he sat down on the old cracking chair again, yawning teasing as David pushed him, never really planning on sleeping but closing his eyes. Though, once they were closed, he had a hard time to open them again and when he managed to, David was reading a book. The twins were practicing with their wands, they made appear flashes and thunder, that lightened the compartment.  
'Hey sleepyhead!' shouted one of them. 'Can you do this?'   
He twirled his wand through the air, and a spiral of light colored the walls of the compartment bright green for just a second. Cedric had to close his eyes for the painful light. Though the spell disappeared just as swiftly as it came, Cedric gasped and looked almost mad.  
'Are you totally insane?' he called. 'Those teachers will freaking think you use the curse of death here!'  
'But we didn't!' chuckled George.  
'That's the great thing!' Fred continued. Cedric had to sigh and shook his head. David stood up, petting the shoulder of his friend for a moment, as a sign he should leave it.  
'It's your turn!' George spoke again and fell back on his chair. 'Show us a spell!'  
'Well, I'm not sure if...'  
'Come on, you're not scared, are you?' chuckled David and Cedric lifted his shoulders.  
'Please?' begged Fred. 'Which harm could it do?'  
'Not much I guess.' mumbled Cedric. He sighed once more and pulled his wand, twirling it between his fingers for a second. The next moment his lips moved slowly, mumbling a spell and he made a bright colored string of light appear. It curled like a snake, making forms and words into the air. His mouth was a little open, fully concentrating on keeping the spell's energy under control.  
George laughed.  
'Cool!' the red haired boy reached out his hand to the spell, Cedric's eyes became wide as he saw it.  
'Don't touch!' but he already was to late, an unpleasant, piercing sound filled the air when the string turned to his creator, twirling around him and disappeared with a loud bang and loads of black smoke.  
For a moment, the boys only heard Cedric's ragged breathing. David quickly started to blow away the smoke with his wand while searching for his defeated friend, who tried to crawl up, hearing the sounds.  
'Awesome!' shouted Fred while David found Cedric and pulled him up. He was looking confused, and disorientated, staring in front of him.  
'Totally brilliant!' echoed George.  
'Are you alright?' David clearly didn't know how to sound. Half laughing, half worried he pushed Cedric on a chair, examining his friend. His hair stood in all different directions and his face was black of smoke and covered with painful burning wounds.  
'I-I'm fine, I think..' he mumbled weakly and he stared through the compartment. David shook his head.  
'Well I don't think so. We need to get a professor here.'  
In the aisle of the train, curious students and shocked teachers gathered.  
'Mister Rankin, would you like to be so kind, to tell me exactly what caused the current status of mister Diggory here?' Minerva McGonagall entered the compartment, looking strict though also a little worried.  
'Fred touched his spell! And then it attacked him!' George shouted almost proud, before David even got the chance to explain. Fred looked stunned to his brother for a moment, and he started to shout back.  
'I didn't touched it! He did!' In the blink of an eye the two brothers were rolling over the ground, fighting and screaming. Professor McGonagall watched them for a moment, before coughing.  
'Stop it! You're going to school, not to a zoo! And besides, mister and mister Weasley, your brother is searching for both of you.'  
'Percy?' they groaned. 'Oh no, please give us detention!'  
'Come on, hurry!'  
The twin shot out of the door swiftly, not discussing it any further.  
Now the smoke had cleared Cedric could see some of the curious new students that heard the bang. He shocked as he saw his unknown beauty was with them. As one of her hands laid on the glass of the compartment, she stared at the messed up looking boy, that she caught watching her earlier this train ride. She looked doubting, if she should laugh or be worried, and Cedric actually felt sorry for her, for she looked a little hopeless and somehow caring. He gave her a weak grin, and waved for a moment, as a sign he was okay.  
'Diggory.' groaned McGonagall as she examined his face. 'I can't fix this right now, you need to visit Madame Pomfrey as soon as we arrived.'  
She sighed and wanted to turn around, but before that she looked warning.  
'Besides, the next time you wish to be a show off, make flowers appear or so.'  
With those word, the professor left the compartment, chasing the still watching students away, as well his unknown beauty and Cedric did not dare to go after her.  
'Yes Cedric, make flowers appear or so.' repeated David teasing. 'For the fragile cute Chinese girl, perhaps?'  
'I don't get a thing of what you're saying.' Cedric mumbled.  
'I saw you looking!'  
'Did my spell damaged your brain to or so? Come on!' the burned boy groaned and shook his head.  
'You look totally hideous, dude.' Grinned his friend and he petted Cedrics back.  
'How long till we arrive?' groaned this one and he stared out of the window, running his fingers through his hair.  
'Not that long, half an hour.'  
Cedric nodded softly. The wide and green landscape outside slowly colored purple now the sun was setting. It was the most beautiful sight. It captured him, and he just had to look at it till the train lowered speed.

 


	2. The Unknown Beauty

Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express

It was the 27th of August, start of a new year at Hogwarts. At least, for Cedric Diggory it was. The sun just had risen when he arrived on platform 9 3/4 together with his dad, Amos Diggory. His father was a man of time. Or more, a man of being way to early. It wasn't crowded yet, only a few nervous looking first years. Cedric watched them smiling. It seemed so long ago he was like them and still it was only a year. His father stood beside him, watching his handsome and talented son with a proud look in his eyes.  
'You remember, you're the best seeker they have. Make sure you'll get your place in the winning team.'  
He avoided the name Hufflepuff, still hoping his son would miraculously switch over to Griffindor or Slytherin. The fourth house, friendly to all. Amos Diggory did not care about being friendly, only about reaching his goal.  
'Yes dad, I promise.' Cedric sounded quite uninterested, but it was all defense against the high standards of his father.  
'But how important Quidditch will be for you, don't forget to study and get great marks. Even if it doesn't interest you, do it at least to...'  
'Keep the name of our family high. I know, I know.' The boy sighed, looking to his dad from the corner of his eyes. Slowly, more people came to the Platform, and he waved to a group of giggling girls that passed. Only because he was bored to death here.  
His father remained quiet for a while as he studied his son like this. Several people came to greet the boy and asked him how his summer had been. He gave them all a mumbling answer, though his smile turned cheerful as soon as he could return the question. He asked his friends if they did anything nice, where they had been and they all answered cocky, showing off but secretly pleased he asked. They made him laugh, and his father stood beside him. Cedric wished he would just go, his dad always made him a little uncomfortable.  
Another group of girls passed, though these were not giggling. Shy and almost invisible they moved over the platform, dragging their suitcases behind them. New students, they did not wear one of the colors of the Hogwarts houses yet, which meant they still had to be sorted.  
At the end of the row, a fragile looking Chinese girl caught Cedric's eye. She hopped along with a large suitcase which seemed to be a little worn off already. Nevertheless she smiled a cheerful smile when she passed him, clearly looking forward to her first year. He followed her movements, looking at her bright smile and a sparkle appeared in his greenish friendly eyes. He just had to curl his mouthcorners. Cedric Diggory smiles a real smile this time. He watched the remarkable young girl till she disappeared in the crowd, reminding himself of finding out who she was.  
'Cedric!' He felt two hands on his shoulder, shocked and then he laughed.  
'David!' he called out quite loudly. 'I told you, you couldn't do that ever again!'  
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...' his best friend pulled a pretty serious face before he bursted out in laughter again.  
'Stop it!' groaned Cedric, giving David a gentle push in the direction of his suitcase. 'It's just a miracle, three minutes here and annoying already!'  
'And you still need to bare it the whole year! And the year after, and after, and after... isn't it brilliant?' David grinned, and he almost seemed to be proud. 'But I did not hopped into your direction to annoy you.'  
Cedric rolled his eyes and sighed once again. After that, though, he plated his teeth into his lip right away, starting to chew it.  
'I saw you smile.' continued his friend, still grinning. 'A real Diggory-smile. Where did it came from so suddenly?'  
'Is it a crime to smile?'  
'Depends on what caused it.' said David cheerful and he chuckled by seeing Cedrics annoyed look.  
'Nothing, I just smiled.'  
'Off course...why do I so... not believe that.' The other boy raised an eyebrow and sighed dramatically. 'The impossible talented, serious, popular and handsome Cedric Diggory who just smiles? Because of nothing? No way.'  
'David..' Cedrics voice grew warning, signing to his dad, who stood talking with Lucius Malfoy. 'Later, please?'  
His friend muttered, but mumbled understanding after, though he grinned. Cedric watched him with raised eyebrows, shaking his head then.  
'Was it a girl?' whispered David teasing.  
Cedric hit him on the head with one of his heavy spellbooks, groaning.  
'Oh, just shut it...'

'So, my son. Ready for another year?' Amos Diggory was done talking with Malfoy and gave both Cedric as his friend a content look, as he always did when something pleased him.  
'David Rankin, if I'm not mistaken? The son of Charlotte?'  
And that sentence led into Cedric, rolling his eyes once again while his father shook Davids hand, brabbeling about all the work he did together with Charlotte Rankin on the ministry. He couldn't have been more glad when the whistle of the train finally sounded. They had to get in.  
'Come on.' He said and he started to pull David along to the Hogwarts Express. But before he managed to get away his father pulled him already into a tight hug.  
'Bye son.' Amos Diggory mumbled. 'Take good care of yourself.'  
A little ashamed, but also pretty touched by this sudden change in his fathers behavior, Cedric tried to free himself from the embrace. He assured his dad it would be a great year, and that they could expect him home for Christmas. Then he let go, disappeared into the crowd together with David. He left his father a little uncomfortable.  
'Man, being hugged by your dad...in public.' groaned David.  
'I know, I know... just forget it.'  
David had to laugh, but this time Cedric was really annoyed and he walked a little faster, ahead of his friend. His new suitcase he dragged behind him, the cage with his owl Mercurius in one hand.  
'Ah, come on...Ced...'  
'Cedric.' he reacted.  
'Come on, Cedric.'  
'Just leave me alone for a moment, alright?' sighed the Hufflepuff boy and he dragged his stuff into an empty compartment. He was grumbling gentle to himself. Slowly he sank down on one of the chairs, sighing softly and almost tired. The compartment remained empty for a moment, and he appreciated that. The feeling of being alone, the silence. But soon he was not alone anymore. David had the great annoying threat to ignore all of Cedrics orders and fell down in the chair next to his friend, which made a cracking sound.  
'You've eaten to much.' Cedric joked humorless, knowing he could not offend his friend with such a thing, David being two heads taller than he was himself. And besides, he looked so thin you could break him in two pieces easily.  
'Yes, 20 barbecues in one summer and you get such a thing.' David answered dead serious.  
That's when they both knew it was alright again. They had known each other for such a longtime that both understood exactly what to say to get over a short fight.  
'Ced! David!'  
'Cedric.' Said Cedric almost at instant. He always preferred his whole name above that silly short one. Ced reminded him way to much of sad. He looked up from his fingers he had been playing with, so did David.  
'Fred and George, already coming to make Hogwarts way less safe!'  
'You're absolutely right.' said Fred proud. Or at least, there was an F on his sweater, obviously made by Molly. But you could never be sure with those twins. Cedric had known them for ages already. They lived near to him, at the other side of the hill. This summer again, they spent loads of time together playing Quidditch. The twins were excellent players, though great jokers as well. Their biggest hobby was scaring their younger brother Ronald, who was slightly clumsy and terrified by spiders.  
'Afraid for the sorting hat already?'  
'Nope.' the two boys said at exactly the same time, plumbing down on the two leftover chairs.  
'We'll be in Griffyndor, be sure of that.' said George.  
'Which means, Diggory,' followed his brother. 'that you have to miss our brilliant Quidditch skills in your Hufflepuff team.'  
Cedric huffed, grinning.  
'I'm good enough to win every match on my own.'  
David bursted out in such a laughter Cedric became red, looking ashamed to his friend.  
'Well, I am pretty good!' he sounded defensive.  
'You're not even in the team yet, silly boy!' called David out while ruffling through his friends hair.  
'Stop that!' Cedric pushed his hands away teasing and groaned, boyish and searching for popularity as he still was there days. In the first year he already gained friends and status, being handsome and everyone had to admit he was a very talented young wizard.  
The train started moving already, and Cedric stood up, throwing open the window and sticking his head outside. He inhaled the fresh air and on some way it made him feel free. He looked to the new students, waving at their parents. After his gaze drifted to the left, he suddenly saw her again. The little Chinese girl, with her long strings of black, satinlike hair. Cedric felt like he had found what he had been searching for, even though that search was not on purpose.  
From so close he saw her beauty. She looked more mature than the other girls and she was not waving. Cedric watched the parents on the platform for a moment. No one looked like her. She was whistling a song, the parents slowly disappeared out of sight and so did the waving students disappear, returning to their seats. But she remained right there at the window, and so did Cedric. She, the beauty, did not know he was there, kept on whistling, clearly enjoying the air stroking her face and he felt like he could watch this for ages. Shame, it took his friend David too long and a loud voice sounded.  
'Cedric!'  
His unknown beauty shocked, stared to the right and found Cedric's shocked face, before he pulled back swiftly, hitting his head hard to the half open window. David laughed out loud, petting his back and telling him he should not dream so often.  
'Talking about dreaming...' Cedric grumbled. 'It'll take a while till we arrive, I can dream away for a moment.'

He felt tired, as he sat down on the old cracking chair again, yawning teasing as David pushed him, never really planning on sleeping but closing his eyes. Though, once they were closed, he had a hard time to open them again and when he managed to, David was reading a book. The twins were practicing with their wands, they made appear flashes and thunder, that lightened the compartment.  
'Hey sleepyhead!' shouted one of them. 'Can you do this?'   
He twirled his wand through the air, and a spiral of light colored the walls of the compartment bright green for just a second. Cedric had to close his eyes for the painful light. Though the spell disappeared just as swiftly as it came, Cedric gasped and looked almost mad.  
'Are you totally insane?' he called. 'Those teachers will freaking think you use the curse of death here!'  
'But we didn't!' chuckled George.  
'That's the great thing!' Fred continued. Cedric had to sigh and shook his head. David stood up, petting the shoulder of his friend for a moment, as a sign he should leave it.  
'It's your turn!' George spoke again and fell back on his chair. 'Show us a spell!'  
'Well, I'm not sure if...'  
'Come on, you're not scared, are you?' chuckled David and Cedric lifted his shoulders.  
'Please?' begged Fred. 'Which harm could it do?'  
'Not much I guess.' mumbled Cedric. He sighed once more and pulled his wand, twirling it between his fingers for a second. The next moment his lips moved slowly, mumbling a spell and he made a bright colored string of light appear. It curled like a snake, making forms and words into the air. His mouth was a little open, fully concentrating on keeping the spell's energy under control.  
George laughed.  
'Cool!' the red haired boy reached out his hand to the spell, Cedric's eyes became wide as he saw it.  
'Don't touch!' but he already was to late, an unpleasant, piercing sound filled the air when the string turned to his creator, twirling around him and disappeared with a loud bang and loads of black smoke.  
For a moment, the boys only heard Cedric's ragged breathing. David quickly started to blow away the smoke with his wand while searching for his defeated friend, who tried to crawl up, hearing the sounds.  
'Awesome!' shouted Fred while David found Cedric and pulled him up. He was looking confused, and disorientated, staring in front of him.  
'Totally brilliant!' echoed George.  
'Are you alright?' David clearly didn't know how to sound. Half laughing, half worried he pushed Cedric on a chair, examining his friend. His hair stood in all different directions and his face was black of smoke and covered with painful burning wounds.  
'I-I'm fine, I think..' he mumbled weakly and he stared through the compartment. David shook his head.  
'Well I don't think so. We need to get a professor here.'  
In the aisle of the train, curious students and shocked teachers gathered.  
'Mister Rankin, would you like to be so kind, to tell me exactly what caused the current status of mister Diggory here?' Minerva McGonagall entered the compartment, looking strict though also a little worried.  
'Fred touched his spell! And then it attacked him!' George shouted almost proud, before David even got the chance to explain. Fred looked stunned to his brother for a moment, and he started to shout back.  
'I didn't touched it! He did!' In the blink of an eye the two brothers were rolling over the ground, fighting and screaming. Professor McGonagall watched them for a moment, before coughing.  
'Stop it! You're going to school, not to a zoo! And besides, mister and mister Weasley, your brother is searching for both of you.'  
'Percy?' they groaned. 'Oh no, please give us detention!'  
'Come on, hurry!'  
The twin shot out of the door swiftly, not discussing it any further.  
Now the smoke had cleared Cedric could see some of the curious new students that heard the bang. He shocked as he saw his unknown beauty was with them. As one of her hands laid on the glass of the compartment, she stared at the messed up looking boy, that she caught watching her earlier this train ride. She looked doubting, if she should laugh or be worried, and Cedric actually felt sorry for her, for she looked a little hopeless and somehow caring. He gave her a weak grin, and waved for a moment, as a sign he was okay.  
'Diggory.' groaned McGonagall as she examined his face. 'I can't fix this right now, you need to visit Madame Pomfrey as soon as we arrived.'  
She sighed and wanted to turn around, but before that she looked warning.  
'Besides, the next time you wish to be a show off, make flowers appear or so.'  
With those word, the professor left the compartment, chasing the still watching students away, as well his unknown beauty and Cedric did not dare to go after her.  
'Yes Cedric, make flowers appear or so.' repeated David teasing. 'For the fragile cute Chinese girl, perhaps?'  
'I don't get a thing of what you're saying.' Cedric mumbled.  
'I saw you looking!'  
'Did my spell damaged your brain to or so? Come on!' the burned boy groaned and shook his head.  
'You look totally hideous, dude.' Grinned his friend and he petted Cedrics back.  
'How long till we arrive?' groaned this one and he stared out of the window, running his fingers through his hair.  
'Not that long, half an hour.'  
Cedric nodded softly. The wide and green landscape outside slowly colored purple now the sun was setting. It was the most beautiful sight. It captured him, and he just had to look at it till the train lowered speed.

 


	3. Hufflepuff's New Seeker

Chapter 3: Hufflepuff's New Seeker

Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang almost strolled through the hallway. He wasn't in a hurry for he did not expect to be in the hospital wing for a long time. Besides that, he planned a last practice session for Quidditch already, according to the fact the selections were this evening.  
The little pale Chinese girl kept a little distance, around two steps away from him. Shy she peeked up sometimes but her gaze never stayed on the Hufflepuff boy very long. He felt the blood dripping in his neck, almost chuckled.  
'Does it hurt a lot?' her soft voice asked, and he turned around, shaking his head.  
'It was just an accident, it isn't your fault.'  
'I did not ask that.'  
'It doesn't hurt.'  
She rolled her eyes, daring to come a little closer and then he suddenly dared to lay a hand on her shoulder, only for a moment.  
'Cho,' he said. 'do not worry.'  
She seemed surprised he knew her name and he smiled softly. His hand lingered there on her shoulder for a moment, before sliding it down.  
As they reached the hospital wing Madame Pomfrey stood on the doorstep already, sighing. She clearly got notice of his little 'accident' already.  
'Mr. Diggory, you are back very soon. Should I start to worry already?'  
He made an uninterested sound and grinned, running his hands through his hair and moaned softly when his fingers touched the wound.  
'Very smart.' The nurse huffed a little and she made a handgasture to the bed. 'Settle yourself, I will check your wound.'  
He jumped on the bed, trying to avoid every grimace of pain because his soft moan clearly shocked Cho, and she stood there beside the bed a little shaky.  
'Don't worry.' He repeated and chuckles softly, giving her a nice smile to calm her down. Madame Pomfrey studied the two students and could not help to smile as well.  
'What happened anyway?' she asked. 'You were showing off again, right?'  
'I was not!' Cedric gasped dramatically and buried his face in his hands. Cho had to laugh, which sounded tinkling and gentle and she laid her hand over her mouth quickly. Her gaze got down ashamed but Cedric peeked to her through his fingers, smiling a little cocky.  
'Why do I not believe that?' Madame Pomfrey sighed and she pushed his hands a little down. The nurse brought her hands to his head and Cedric wiggled his feet a little, playing with his fingers.  
'It was my fault, Madame.' Cho suddenly said. It was half whispering, half gasping and clearly shy but she did say it.  
'It was an accident.' Cedric muttered stubborn. 'Don't you worry, Cho Chang. I already said so now, didn't I?'  
She nodded and gave him a careful smile.  
'Besides I will be out in no time.' He winked. But till his surprise Madame Pomfrey shook her head disapproving and sighed.  
'I'm sorry boy, this is a deep cut. It almost cracked your skull.'  
Cho grew impossibly pale with those words and held on to the bed for support. He saw it and tried to hush her, as her hands squeezed softly into the pillows.  
'Well but my skull isn't cracked, is it?'  
She doubted it.  
'I'm so sorry!' Cho muttered and her gaze got down again.  
'It's not your fault.' Cedric answered warning. His eyes got to the nurse. 'I will be gone before the clock strikes seven I hope?'  
She laughed humorless and pushed him down on the bed.  
'You're not going to get out till at least tomorrow evening, Mr. Diggory.'  
'What!?' he stared at her in total horror his hands twirling themselves in the blankets before he jumped up. 'You can't do that! The Quidditch selections are this evening!'  
'I'm sorry, but I can not let you go. Worry more about your health than about that place in the team, next year there's another chance.'  
'But my dad…' Cedric mumbled softly.  
'Your dad would rather have you healthy as well, not?'  
He did not answer that question, chewing his lip furious and Madame Pomfrey pushed him back on the bed.  
'I think he would.'  
Cedric sighed and looked at her, running his fingers through his hair again. His eyes were stubborn but he mumbled something looking like 'okay' and turned his head away.  
'I will make you a potion to heal the wound.' The nurse said. 'Try not to move too much and just lay down for a moment.'  
He laid down without struggle, Cho standing next to him. His eyes followed Madame Pomfrey though and as soon as she disappeared in her office he jumped up, grabbing his stuff together. His unknown beauty watched him with big eyes.  
'W-What are you going to do?' she muttered.  
'I am not going to miss the selection, that's a sure thing.' Cedric grumbled and moved himself half running to the door, sneaking out. Cho followed him nervous and pulled his sleeve then.  
'I don't think this is a good idea, Cedric.'  
He shocked a little, she said his name and he smiles, couldn't help to smile his dreamy smile and tapped her hand.  
'I will be fine, I just need to do this.' He started walking again.  
'For who?'  
'For no one.'  
'For your dad?'  
He froze, dropping his bag on the stone floor and turned around, looking at her a little desperate.  
'You know nothing about my dad. I will do this for myself.'  
'I saw you looking at Madame Pomfrey when she mentioned your dad, I…' Her voice grew shy again and she looked down. 'I'm sorry…'  
He felt a little guilty and touched her shoulder again.  
'Hey, Cho… You're just…worried, you should not be ashamed for that.'  
'It's not my business.' She mumbled. 'But will you be… careful I mean I almost cracked your skull, as the nurse said…'  
'I'm always careful.' Cedric chuckled. 'It will be all okay, I will just fly the best I can, catch the snitch and come in that team…'  
'And then?' she wondered.  
'And then I'll go back to Madame Pomfrey, where McGonagall will give me some lifelong detention or so…'  
She had to laugh again, he eyes a little sparkling with that.  
'Go back to your class, I will get you in trouble, I have to run.' He chuckled and smiled at her, winking for a moment.  
'I…I will.' She mumbled. 'Can I come, tonight to the selections?'  
'Off course!' he said with a wide smile, then a calling voice sounded through the hallway.  
'DIGGORY!'  
'Oops!' he muttered and smiles at Cho, before quickly tapping her hair and running as fast as he could, disappearing into the hallway.

That evening Cedric Diggory did appear on the selections for Hufflefuff Quidditch team. Till he stepped on his broom he pressed his yellow black scarf against the back of his head all the time. Once in a while he looked around nervously, if none of the professors came to get him away. He had to do this. For himself ánd for his dad. The captain of the team stepped forward and called his name. He knew the boy, Marc Faredell, and shook his hand. A gentle push against his shoulder was the response.  
'So Diggory, you're going to try?'  
'Try? I'm gonna be, you know that.' Cedric hiffed and he threw his scarf on the ground, grabbing his broom.  
'Gosh dude, what did you do with your head?'  
'Nothing.' He simply answered and grinned, shooting up into the air and making a loop. He shocked a little, feeling dizzy and stars appeared in front of his eyes. Cedric blinked, shook his head and grinned.  
'You're okay up there?' Marc shouted.  
'Always, release the freaking snitch!' Cedric grinned. Not more than two seconds later a little golden ball zoomed around his ears before disappearing into thin air.  
'You wanna play, boy?' Cedric huffed. 'Then you'll get your game.'  
He wiggled his eyebrows for a second, making a loop into the air once again, ignoring how he got dizzy and sprinted after the snitch.  
He chased it in no time, as an excellent played has to. His hand was already stretched out when he still was almost half a field away, but Cedric's real home was there in the air. He knew where the little golden ball was, even when he had his eyes closed and he chased it, teasing Marc by not getting it at the moments he almost could. All this time he showed how brilliant he actually was, and it felt good. He sprinted low over the tribunes, suddenly catching a glimpse of a little girl with a blue grey scarf.  
'Cho!' he shouted and grinned at her. She waved, cheering to him. It gave him, somehow, an extra burst of energy. He speeded up, after the little golden ball and his fingers just closed around it, the public cheering.  
'Brilliant catch, Diggory!' Marc shouted and he smiled full of triumph. Cedric grinned and held up the snitch, making another loop. That last one was just a little too much. It got black in front of his eyes, little flashes of light making him impossibly dizzy and the next moment he passed out. Everyone watching could see how Cedric Diggory's broom zoomed down, how the boy fell off, onto the tribune, cracking through the wood with the force he smashed into it. It grew silent, the cheering faded. A couple of seconds later the almost looking lifeless body of hufflepuff's new seeker crashed onto the field.  
Madame Pomfrey just came running, together with professor McGonagall. They were followed by a little Chinese girl who shot inside the castle as soon as she saw Cedric fall. Cho Chang had tears in her eyes, saw pale and followed her teachers to the crashed boy.  
'Miss Chang, it might be better if you go inside.'  
'No, no let me be here.' She struggled, for the first time stubborn to a teacher and she kneeled down next to Madame Pomfrey, daring to touch his cheek softly. The professor did not send her away. Cedric made a soft noise which was supposed to be a greet. It sounded sad and a little painful. She squealed unhappy, pulling her hand back and looking to the ground. Professor McGonagall sent Marc to get Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey not sure if the boy needed to be shipped to the hospital.  
'Cedric? Can you hear me?' Cho mumbled when everyone was busy talking. She got no answer, but that did not stop her from taking as hand, out of a feeling of guilt, together with something else. She did not know what, but it was clearly there.  
'Miss Edgecombe, would you like to take miss Chang to the hospital wing for a moment? I will be right there.' Madame Pomfrey told another first year Ravenclaw girl, Cho's friend. She nodded and took Cho's arm. Cedric still laying on the ground, his nose started to bleed. The little Chinese girl pulled herself loose of her friend, sitting next to the boy again and pressed softly under his nose with her handkerchief, wiping away the blood.  
'Cho, come on, they will do that.'  
'But I want to do it!' she called out and tried to struggle away but this time her friend showed no mercy and dragged her up. They walked inside the castle, Cho strolling a bit slow behind her friend looking over her shoulder as much as possible. Her face was pale, her handkerchief clenched tight into her hand.


	4. A Long Week

Chapter 4: A Long Week

When Cedric Diggory got brought into the hospital wing he was pale, covered with dried up blood and did not look like the secure showing off boy anymore. One hand was still clenched into his fist, no one took the little golden snitch away from him. And maybe that was better, for that has been the whole purpose of this crash. He felt weird, trying to open his eyes but he could not. He only heard panicking voices and some soft screams, surrounded by loads of people when they lifted him on the bed.  
'If everyone that doesn't have any bad injuries would like to go away!' Madame Pomfrey sighed. Some girls protested, but even during this moment they still giggled. They annoyed him, badly, even though he could only hear them and not even see.  
After a while it grew silent, only a soft sobbing could be heard and for Cedric Diggory that soft sobbing became the most horrid sound of the world. He knew it was her, tried to roll over to comfort her. But he could not move or speak or see. He only could feel, his chest cramping every time he heard her sob.  
Something soft touched his face, a towel. The warm water washed the blood away and slowly his pale face got more visible, but he did not look that bad now the red spots where wiped away. He managed to produce a soft moan, just to let them know he was still there. Cedric wondered if anybody heard. He felt strange, his head light and he felt dizzy. Moving he couldn't. Sometimes hands touched him, wondered examining over his arms and legs to check if everything still worked. He was uncomfortable, not able to say anything of it, to wipe the feeling away with a cocky grin and a wink.  
After a while he just tried to imagine, those hands touching his arms, face and chest where hers. Cho's. It made him feel less insecure then before and the tensed look on his face even disappeared, as Madame Pomfrey saw. The nurse was just busy cleaning the wounds on his chest and looked at Cho, who still sat on another bed. The little girl was clearly still stunned and shocked.  
'Miss Chang, could you help me out for a moment?'  
She looked up with teary eyes and Cedric could hear her steps as she came to his bed. Her voice sounded soft in the dreamy substance that his mind became. He moved his fingers only a little when he felt how she leaned onto the bed.  
'What do I have to do?'  
'Can you help me to clean these wounds? The sooner I can wake him up, the better.'  
He heard a hidden gasp and a muttered 'okay' but now she would really touch him it made him nervous. A strange feeling shot through his chest as she carefully touched it with her hand and pressed a towel against it.  
'Why does he still sleep? He will awake, won't he?'  
The conversation started to fade, Cedric could hear only parts of Madame Pomfrey's answer about pain, and the importance of cleaning and healing the deep wounds.  
A minute later a dream appeared, he was truly sleeping. It was a feverish sleep though with loads of dreams and sometimes he moved restless. Every single moment Cho's hands removed themselves from his body, even when it was only for a moment, he cringed. The dreams he dreamed where scary and sometimes he curled, groaned. But Cho Chang was already happy he moved again, instead of laying on the bed so lifeless.  
'Miss Chang?' The voice of Madame Pomfrey sounded in his head but he pushed it away, his hands craving into the blankets. His dreams where full of colors when Cho talked, and they got dark and restless when there was this silence.  
'I think I cleaned everything, miss…' he heard her mumble and he relaxed again, his head dropping to the left in the pillows.  
'Good… We'll just tuck him in and give him this potion, then he'll wake in the morning, feeling all alright again.'  
It became quite a restless night. Madame Pomfrey got called away around 12 O'Clock. Apparently, the Weasley twins gave another first year some candy and now the boy kept throwing up. Cho was just on her way back to the commonroom as the nurse called her back.  
'Miss Chang? I am really sorry but I'm afraid I have to ask you to stay for a moment. I do not dare to leave him alone yet.'  
'Him?' she asked and she looked to Cedric a little asking.  
'Yes, would you mind to stay for a moment?'  
'No, no… off course not.' The little Chinese girl made her way back and he mumbled something in his dreams. Though he knew she was there he could not say anything and moved restless. He imagined how she sat next to his bed, watching him and maybe feeling guilty, or sad, or maybe she would not care at all. The dreams messed up his thoughts and feelings. It became a long, restless night and when Madame Pomfrey came back she saw how the little Chinese girl laid with her head on his blankets, breathing at ease and sleeping. She smiled a little, used her wand to carry Cho to a bed and tucked her in, knowing it had been a long, exhausting day.

When he woke up his head felt heavy, and he could hardly open his eyes. Flashes of what happened returned into his memory but not everything. It was a blurry substance and he shook his head a little trying to make things more clear.  
'Ah, Mr. Diggory, you're awake.' Madame Pomfrey said, and he groaned a little.  
'Awake, awake…'  
'Already making jokes.' The nurse laughed humorless and she walked to his bed, lifting his head a little and examined the little scar left. 'You haven't been very responsible.'  
'I know.' He moaned softly and he hid his face in the pillows, the pain in his head annoying him badly as well the bright light in the hospital wing.  
'Maybe you should comfort Miss Chang a little when she woke up,' the woman added. 'she was quite shocked.'  
'Cho?' he asked. 'She's still here?'  
Madame Pomfrey made a gesture to the bed next to him, her black hair falling over the edge and her hand laying against her face. He watched her for a moment, feeling strangely light while doing that.  
'I need to make you something, so it's sure the wounds will keep closed. Don't you dare to run away again.' She looked warning and Cedric nodded innocently.  
'I'll be right here.'  
When the nurse left he sighed and stared at the ceiling, peeking to Cho sometimes. She must have been really shocked she still was here and he tried to think of something to cheer her up. For now he watched her, how she laid there so beautiful, breathing slowly and relaxed, as if she was in good dreams.  
When she moved he shocked a little, feeling caught but she wasn't really awake yet. For a slight moment he did not know what to do. What is she really woke up and saw him staring at her again? He quickly pulled the blankets over him again, laying there perfectly silent not moving an inch when he heard how she sat up.  
'Madame Pomfrey?' she still sounded a little sleepdrunk. 'Oh…I fell asleep. I'm so sorry!'  
He could hear how she gathered her stuff and she made thinking noises sometimes, mumbling softly to herself. Then it became silent like something distracted her and very softly he could hear how she came closer.  
'Cedric?' she asked. He did not answer, not even peeked hen he felt how her hair touched his cheek when she hovered over him.  
'Are you awake?'  
She sounded worried but he did not dare yet to open his eyes, only when he heard her breathing speeds up he laid a hand around her wrist, which laid on the blankets. She squealed shocked and jumped backwards a little, while he opened one eye.  
'Sorry.' He muttered. 'I didn't want to scare you.'  
'Scare me?' she said. ' You acted like you were dead!'  
Slowly he sat up, running his fingers through his hair and looking at her gathered stuff. She dropped her bag on the ground and sighed a little.  
'Will you stay?' Cedric asked suddenly while he looked at her. She seemed to think and he threw his legs over the edge of the bed.  
'I will if you stay in bed.' She said and she pushed him a little, in his eyes looking slightly stubborn on the moment.  
'You're suddenly not that shy anymore.' He teased but her gaze got down immidiatly again and he crawled back in bed to please her.  
'I'm sorry…' she mumbled. Cedric wished he knew what she was thinking, she did not look to happy. He searched for something to cheer her up, as he tried to find her eyes.  
'Madame Pomfrey will feed me such a gross drink again.'  
She looked at him disbelieving, but he saw a smile play around her lips, while she sat on the chair next to the bed and watched him.  
'She's gonna feed you?'  
'Well I'm not going to drink it out of free will.' He huffed.  
'Not?'  
'Sure not, want to bet? She'll feed it to me.'  
Cho Chang seemed not to know if she had to laugh or look disapproving but then Madame Pomfrey came in again.  
'Yes, yes… I know.' Cedric sighed when Cho wiggled her eyebrows meaningful. The nurse appeared with an unappealing looking drink.  
He tried to struggle up, drinking the potion while laying probably wasn't his strongest point, he could imagine. Cho had to giggle as she saw him struggle with the blankets.  
'I'm so going to get you back for this.' Cedric groaned teasing to the girl, suddenly more at ease in her presence than with anyone else.  
She squealed a little unhappy and he immediately regretted it, laying a hand on her shoulder. Though that move caused him losing his balance and he smacked back into the pillows, pulling an annoyed face.  
The Chinese girl laughed again and so did he. Hers was hard to resist and he always just had to join her, answer her tinkling grin with his slightly cocky one. Though he looked never unfriendly.  
'Mr. Diggory, would you be so nice to cooperate?' Madame Pomfrey sighed. After the little escape before the selections she did not let him go out of her sight. Besides that, he was not allowed to join the first match against Ravenclaw.  
Cedric sat up again, rolling his eyes and opening his mouth.  
'Well I am ready.'  
'You're not a baby, Mister.' The nurse said, annoyed and she pressed the cup with liquid in his hand. 'You feed yourself.'  
She stood up and turned around and when she turned her back at Cedric he pulled such a face that Cho could not help it to roll over the ground from laughing. Madame Pomfrey looked over her shoulder suspicious, but the only thing there was an innocent smiling boy and a little girl that almost choked in her laugh. The nurse groaned and disappeared out of sight.  
'Well…' gasped Cho still a little from the burst of laughter. 'now you need to drink the stupid potion! And I won the bet!'  
'Alright, alright.' Cedric said and he took a deep breath. The liquid smelled really terrible and he placed the cup on his lips hesitating. Then he drank it all at once.  
'Cedric!' a boy's voice called out just on the moment he started to cough. Gasping and coughing he tried to greet David, who crossed the hospital wing on his way to Cedric's bed.  
'D-Da-David.' He managed to say, still coughing and trying to swallow the leftover of the potion. He pulled a face once again, and Cho laid her hand softly on his. David looked at it, a little displeased and then his gaze got back to his friend.  
'So, I heard you won't play Saturday?'  
'Nope…' Cedric mumbled when he could breathe normally again. 'I'm in total detention here, I'm a prisoner.'  
'Well you are a prisoner with nice company.' David reacted. 'What about you, Cho? You will come to see the match, right? I do play.'  
Cho looked at David, in Cedric's eyes insecure.  
'I don't know yet, I mean…'  
'Would you like to go?' Cedric asked suddenly.  
'I love Quidditch.' She mumbled. 'But there will be enough matches still…'  
He chewed his lip, felt how David was watching him and however he saw what his friend was trying, he nodded softly.  
'You should go. It's the first match of the season.'  
David looked a little unbelieving, but then he smiled and turned back to Cho, who looked at the ground.  
'So… you will come?'  
'Alright.' She muttered. 'I will come, to watch.'  
Cedric smiled softly, David plumbing down on a chair next to the bed, Cho sitting at his feet on the bed itself.  
'Do I miss anything spectacular?' Cedric asked and he looked at David. His friend, though, was staring at Cho and a burning came up in his chest. So suddenly he never expected it and he quickly looked away.  
'Cedric? Are you alright?' Cho asked a little worried. He heard her Scottish accent and smiled softly, nodding.  
'I'm fine, it's the drink, gives me a headache.'  
'Maybe you should sleep?' David said.  
'David I'm fine.' Cedric rolled his eyes annoyed and laid back in the pillows looking a little grumpy as he watched Cho and David talk. His friend knew what she actually meant to him. He never expected such a thing. David was very subtile but Cedric knew his friend well enough to see what he was trying.  
Then he watched only Cho, examining her arms and legs and her body and the features of her face. She was so tiny, fragile and still so strong. Why couldn't she just hold him, hug him? Even if it was only as a friend.  
'Shall I come to pick you up?' David asked. Cedric shocked and Cho must have felt because she laid a hand on the blankets, on his feet. He looked ashamed another way, and she coughed a little awkward.  
'I will come myself. I still need to do a lot of things, sorry David.' She smiled.  
'Oh, well…' David mumbled a little disappointed. 'Let me know when you change your mind, I can always step by after all.'  
'I will.' Cho nodded friendly.  
David stood up, smiling to both Cedric and Cho.  
'I need to make my way out again, astronomy starts in a few minutes.'  
Cedric nodded, David petted his shoulder and touched Cho's hand lightly. Cedric could not help to close his eyes, feeling so jealous suddenly. It was nothing for him but still it was clearly there. Cho saw it, smiled at him comforting.  
'I don't have to go.' She said. 'It's not fun either for you to stay here all alone, right?'  
'Oh, I will survive that,' Cedric mumbled and he smiled. 'don't you worry about me.'  
'You always say I should not worry about you.'  
'Well because I think that.'  
'Don't you think it's a nice feeling, that people care about you?'  
'Care about me?' He raised his eyebrows for a second, but then he smiled and nodded. 'That's a nice feeling.'  
'Well then let me be worried.' She smiled a little shy and he sat up a little, opening his mouth to ask something. He didn't. Not yet.  
'What did you want to say?' Cho asked curiously.  
'Nothing,' he smiled. 'I'm okay.'  
They both chuckled, and he sat up even a little bit more, coming a little closer to her. He studied her black hair falling half over her face and wiped it behind her ear gently.  
'You shouldn't hide your face with your hair.' He smiled.  
'I don't!' she said shy and tried to smile. 'I don't hide behind my hair!'  
He chuckled, petted her shoulder teasing. She pushed him back and he groaned as if he was in pain. Cho shocked but as soon she saw he was messing with her she grabbed the pillow, throwing it in his face and they both had to laugh.  
'You tease!'  
'It's all I do.' Cedric grinned.  
They had a nice afternoon together, Cho making homework and Cedric reading when they weren't talking. She was always close to his bed though, like she refused to get away from him more than three steps.  
Till that evening, when David appeared anyway. Cedric was sleeping, finally. Though he tried to stay awake till she left, in the end he obeyed her command to lay down and he fell asleep at instant.  
'Where's my girl?' David asked and Cho smiled a little almost uncomfortable, sitting on the end of the bed and she jumped up after she looked at Cedric for a second.  
'I thought you would just wait for me to show up.' She mumbled.  
'Well I could not take the risk of Cedric convincing you to stay with him.' David grinned, though still there was this displeased edge around his mouth.  
'Well I don't know, I actually wanted to stay till he woke up and then…'  
'Cho, you're inside of this hospital wing for three days already, give yourself some fresh air. He said you should go right?'  
Cho nodded and played a little with her hair, hiding her face behind it now again, after all. Her feet tapped softly on the stone floor.  
'Well lets…lets go then.' She smiled and nodded at David. 'Will you wait outside for a second? Then I will grab some stuff together.'  
'Off course, Miss Chang.' David winked and he left. Cho sighed a little and turned to Cedric, making sure he was really sleeping and everyone else was gone. Then she pressed a tiny little kiss on his forehead, something he even barely would have felt when he was awake. Though she smiled content at the relaxed smile around his lips and nodded for a moment, wondering what on earth she was doing.  
Then she disappeared outside, joining David to the Quidditch field.


	5. One Hug

Chapter 5: One Hug

When Cedric woke up, the sun has started to go down already. Twilight set in and he looked at the red stripes that the sun made on the walls of the hospital wing. An empty hospital wing. It took him a while to realize that the Quidditch match must had been started, and Cho left to watch it. However he told her she should it stinged a little in his chest anyway and groaning softly he sat up. Carefully he stood up, putting his feet on the cold stone floor and walked very carefully to the window. He still swayed a little on his feet. As he reached the other end of the room he climbed onto one of the beds, making it possible to look outside. The colored glass gave him a view onto the lake, as well the Quidditchfield. Though it was way too far to see what was happening.  
He groaned softly. He should be on that field! It was his place that he earned when he passed the selections and now he couldn't even play!  
He was already planning to sneak out, at least to be able to see something of the match and he searched for his clothes. He only wore his boxer and a worn-off shirt so they had to be here somewhere.  
Cedric searched everywhere, even under the bed and he crawled on hands and knees, sighing softly when he heard a disapproving cough.  
'Mr. Diggory, would you like to explain what you're planning.'  
Madame Pomfrey had wrapped her arms over each other and stood there, watching him with a warning look in his eyes.  
'I was just searching my clothes.' He grinned. 'Is that a crime already?'  
'No, but what you will do after you found them, could be.' The nurse sighed and shook her head. 'So you won't get them, and you won't need them because you need to rest.'  
'I don't want to.' He simply reacted.  
'You're still going to.' Madame Pomfrey said and this time he knew he should not mess with her to badly, because she seemed to mean it.  
'Alright, alright…don't become mad.' Cedric sighed and he strolled back to his bed. 'No need to be furious or so.'  
His voice sounded dryly and the nurse sighed, very annoyed while she felt his forehead and smiled a little.  
'No fever. Good.'  
'Well I feel perfectly fine, so maybe I can…' Cedric started hopeful.  
'You're not going to leave this hospital wing till Thursday mister, so don't get any weird ideas into your head.'  
Cedric sighed and layed back into the pillows, staring to the ceiling.  
'You think you can handle it alone here?' Madame Pomfrey asked. 'They always need loads of help after a Quidditch game and I found out it's even easier to do all things there.'  
'Sure I can handle it.' Cedric grinned.  
'If you run away I will let them take your broom.' Was the threatening answer and Cedric grew a little pale.  
'I'll be right here.' He mumbled as Madame Pomfrey left with a warning look. She would take it away when she found out he had been gone if only for one minute.  
He grumbled something and let himself fall down on the bed, staring to the ceiling which was just as boring as the whole hospital wing. He laid there for almost an hour, till he heard the first sound. A soft, familiar sobbing and the door that opened slowly.  
'Cho?' he said asking and he sat up immediately.  
'Y-Yes?' it sounded just as asking as she came in, hiding her face a little behind her scarf, and he stood up not minding he was only in his underwear at all.  
'What happened? Why are you crying.'  
'I…I just…I hitted my head, and…' She peeped, seeming to be unhappy and he lifted her chin a little in an attempt to calm her down.  
'Cho, easy…'  
'It…it hurts.' She muttered and he saw how she became red through her tears.  
'Oh…' Cedric said and he swiftly helped her to the bed, gently. He putted her on it careful and laid his hand on the scarf she was hiding the wound with. 'Let me see for a moment?'  
He carefully pushed her hand with the scarf down and saw her face covered with blood, bit his lip and studied it a little.  
'Wait here for a moment…'  
'Where's Madame Pomfrey?' she asked, but it didn't sound like she wanted the nurse to be here.  
'She's on the field.' Cedric mumbled, grabbing a towel and managed to find his wand, wetting the towel with a spell he learned.  
'Can I clean it?' he asked. Though he knew he would anyway but he found it more polite to ask it anyway. Luckily she nodded, mumbling something while he pressed the towel against her cheek. First he wiped away the blood, then he pressed it against the wound.  
'Are you okay?' he sounded a little insecure, never did this before or even touched a girl like this.  
She sobbed softly and nodded but it wasn't really convincing. Cedric carefully pressed a little more on the wound but the sobbing turned into crying.  
'Hey…' he whispered softly. 'Hey Cho…'  
A little insecure, but meaning it truly, he tried to hush her, wrapping one arm around her first, followed by his other. And actually, without his own notice he was hugging her. He heard her gasp a little and quickly let go.  
'I'm sorry, I…I shouldn't have done that.' He muttered softly. 'I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, I just..'  
He mumbled a little along and kept cleaning her face till it stopped bleeding and looked clean, his face close to that of the fragile beauty when the door cracked open.  
'Well that weren't so much wounded today,' Madame Pomfrey sighed when she came in. 'only… oh…'  
When she noticed how Cedric shot up from his place, cleaning Cho's face she smiled a little and looked at them.  
'Oh, I see Mr. Diggory took excellent care of you already, I am not needed here.' The nurse smiled meaningful and disappeared into her office, leaving the two teenagers there alone.  
'I-I'm sorry.' Cho stuttered and she wiped the tears out of her eyes. 'It just…it hurted and…I act so childish…'  
Cedric smiled, cleaning the towel and stroked with it over her face, to calm her a little and she slowly relaxed.  
'It's okay, don't worry hey…'  
Before he knew he hugged her again, softly, longer this time. He tried to hush her, making soft calming sounds and let her go when she did not sob any longer, only looked really tired.  
'Come on, lay down for a moment.'  
She struggled, not long but he pushed her gently into the pillows, tucking her in for he knew she tucked him in as well. For some reason that memory suddenly lingered through his head as he sat next to her, laying a hand on her face calming. It did not took long before her breathing calmed down, Cho Chang fell asleep laying half in Cedric's arms, and he felt perfectly fine with it.  
'You know…' he muttered softly. 'Maybe you talked to me when I was asleep to, I…I can't remember. I wish I knew…'  
He smiled softly and laid his head next to hers on the pillow, taking a deep breath and looked to her face.  
'When you…asked, if it wasn't a nice feeling…when someone cared about you…' Cedric chewed his lip, sighing slightly and played with his fingers nervous. 'I wanted to ask…if you cared about me.'  
He closed his eyes.  
'But I did not have…the courage so I hope, I hope I will have that, once…'  
As it became later, he thought the girl should go to her own bed. She slept here a night already and she seemed so tired he almost couldn't bare it. So he sat up a little, putting one hand under her neck and one under her knees, lifting her softly against his strong chest. He looked a little insecure, noticed he was still in his underwear but actually he cared more about her than that fact. He carefully sneaked to the door and got outside, onto the hall.  
He carefully strolled with Cho's tiny body through the hallway. He had to think about the location of the commonroom, but when he arrived there he had another problem.  
'Password.' He muttered. 'Password, password, password…'  
He could not do very much more than knocking the door and when no one answered, suddenly the ghost of a young woman appeared.  
'Ehm…miss?' Cedric muttered softly. 'Could you…tell me what the password is?'  
'The password?' the grey lady sounded sad. 'Why would I give the password of our noble house, to a boy in his underwear?'  
He sighed, holding Cho close against him.  
'Because..because I come to bring her, to bed.'  
'I won't give a password.'  
Cedric groaned annoyed, nodding a little.  
'Could you go inside then, and warn one of her friends?'  
The grey lady nodded without a further word and disappeared through the wall once again, inside he heard a mumbling voice.  
'Weird ghost.' He huffed a little and the next moment the door swayed open. Another first year girl, Cho's friend, opened the door.  
'Cho?' she asked shocked. 'Is she okay, what are you doing here?'  
'Hush, hush!' Cedric whispered. 'You may wake her… she fell asleep in the hospital wing I thought I bring her back to the commonroom…'  
The girl nodded understanding and looked at him.  
'I…don't think I get her inside… will you lift her upstairs?'  
'Off course.' He smiled tenderly almost, to the girl in his arms. He stepped in, followed by Cho's friend, hearing some giggling when the girls in the commonroom noticed him being only in his underwear.  
He carried her to her bed, which her friend showed him. He softly layed her down on the bed and covered her with blankets.  
'So…' he muttered softly and he looked at her friend. 'I…I will go again, now. Let her sleep for a while, she was very tired.'  
'Off course.'  
He disappeared then, into the hallway once again, in his underwear and he had to chucle, strolling around through the castle seeing the funny side of it now. He hummed a soft song, wondered about you.  
'Cho Chang, you're a remarkable person…' he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair.  
'And I think… I really… really…love you.' Cedric smiled, so dreamy he did not notice he walked straight into a very familiar person, bumped into him.  
'Oh, sorry…' he muttered gently. But he got no answer.  
David stood in front of him, and David looked furious.


	6. A Friend And Rival

Chapter 6: A Friend and Rival

David Rankin watched his friend with his teeth clenched together. His hand lingered on the pocket of his jeans, ready to grab his wand. Cedric tried to hush him, holding his hands up in the air.  
'David, what are you doing?' he asked and his look turned warning.  
'What did you do!?' He called out. 'Where did you went with her!? Did you…do you have her already, did you kissed her, do you date her?'  
David sounded kind of desperate, staring at Cedric, angry.  
'None of that, David. She fell asleep.'  
'You're in your freaking underwear!'  
'Madame Pomfrey took my clothes away, David. Don't act so silly!'  
'Yes, and I have to believe that again?' David huffed. 'Because I am not so sure if you tell the truth, Cedric. You can always get anything and anyone you want!'  
'Hush.' Cedric muttered but he couldn't help it to feel guilty, for somewhere it must be true, that he got the things he wished for.  
'I'm not going to hush!' David pulled his wand, pointing it at his friend and looked absolutely furious. Cedric didn't even recognize him anymore.  
'David, now don't do stupid…'  
'Expelliarmus!' David called, Cedric's want blown out of his hand before he could stop it. He didn't even want to stop it. But his friend did not leave him much of a choice.  
He sprinted to his wand, avoiding David's other spells and managed to grab it. He lifted it but his friend fired a curse already and he had to block it, getting blown away by the force of the spell.  
'David! You need to calm down, you have no idea what you are doing!'  
'I know perfectly well what I am doing!' David shouted. 'I finally, finally stand up for something, I had first, and you took away! That's what I'm doing.'  
'Cho?' Cedric asked and David lowered his wand. 'You're talking about Cho?'  
'Off course I am talking about Cho! What else could you take away from me. I had her first, you don't even have the right to like her, if you are really my friend!'  
'I think I have every right to like her! And she should choose for herself.'  
David made a desperate sound, lifting his hands up in the air.  
'Choose for herself? Such a hard choice, isn't it?'  
Cedric looked down, did not answer and crawled up, then lifted his head so he watched into Davids eyes.  
'You want to fight about her? I will protect her.'  
He held up his wand, threatening and his eyes looking warning. It wasn't something for him to fight, surely not with David. But this case was something entirely different than just a fight. He could not allow David to take her away.  
'A duel. Right.' David clenched his teeth together, pointing his wand at Cedric as well and they both did not notice that a little shadow hopped into the hallway.  
'Expelliarmus!' David shouted again, but Cedric blocked it easily and mumbled something, ropes shooting out of the point of his wand. They wrapped themselves around his friend, who screamed for a moment and struggled.  
'Diffendo!' sounded muffled after that and the ropes were cut through, but with the spell David had cut into his arm as well.  
'David, watch out.' Cedric muttered and he wanted to come closer, the wound on his friends arm deep and bleeding. But David was so furious, he pointed his wand at Cedric even though he had dropped his.  
'Petrificus Totalus!' sounded and at the same time Cedric could hear something else. His name, followed by a gently push which caused him losing his balance. Disorientated he looked around, just in time to see how David's body-binding spell crashed into Cho, who froze at instant.  
He jumped up, running towards her immediately when she fell on the ground and kneeled next to her, laying a hand on her cheek.  
'You froze her! You idiot!'  
David clearly didn't know what to say and muttered something but Cedric looked furious, though not willing to let his friend pay for this all.  
'I…I didn't… will you tell her I didn't…'  
'Go away! Now, before they catch you!' Cedric hissed. He layed one hand under the head of the girl, mumbling to her softly.  
'You can still hear me, right? I'm sorry… but why did you jumped in front of me?' Why did you do that?'  
He smiled a little, David walking backwards and disappeared into the dark then. In the meanwhile he stroke some hair out of Cho's face, looked thinking.  
'Silly girl…' he muttered but smiles, almost loving, not sure if she could see him or not. In any case Cedric lifted her stiff body, shivering a little when feeling she was cold. He had nothing to warm her with. No jacket, no blankets or anything else. So he just pressed her softly against his body, taking her back to the hospital wing. There a second problem appeared. Madame Pomfrey would kill him.  
He looked at Cho. Cedric wasn't able to undo the curse. He needed Madame Pomfrey for that job. But she would take away his broom or at least so she said and he doubted if she was joking.  
Though it did not take him long to run to her office, knocking the door softly which the nurse opened.  
'Mr. Diggory? What are you doing out of bed?'  
'Cho, she got hit by a Petrificus Totalus curse.'  
'Here?' Madame Pomfrey asked disbelieving, but her look turned warning. 'I would have heard that.'  
'No…' Cedric sighed. 'In the hallway. It was an accident, really. I just wanted to bring her back to her commonroom, because she fell asleep here.'  
'But how on earth the curse?' Madame Pomfrey asked while she followed Cedric to his bed, taking her wand already.  
'Long story.' Cedric muttered softly. 'It was an accident.'  
The nurse sighed a little and tapped Cho's hand carefully with her wand, mumbling soft words and slowly there got some color back on the little girl's face. She blinked a few times, Cedric looked at her worried.  
'Cho?' he muttered.  
'I… I am sorry.' She said at instant, which caused Cedric to smile softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed.  
'Why would you apologize?'  
'I got you in trouble, not? Because you were in the hallway…' She looked at the nurse asking, but Madame Pomfrey smiled a little.  
'I think I will ignore this time.' She said. 'But only this time Mr. Diggory!'  
He chuckled and nodded slowly.  
'And if you don't mind, I go back to my office, trying to get some sleep. Will you take further care of Miss Chang here?'  
Cedric nodded and the nurse disappeared. Cho still laid on the bed, looking a little stunned in his eyes.  
'Are you okay?' he asked after a while. Cho's face looked pale in the candlelight, that came from the candle next to her bed.  
'Yes, yes… I think I am fine.'  
'You think?' he said, looking worried.  
'I'm confused.' She explained.  
He chuckled a little, running his fingers through his hair and looked down at the ground, yawning softly.  
'Are you tired?' she asked and then he felt how two of her fingers carefully took some of his hairs, rolling it between them.  
'No, not really.' He smiles and he looked up at her, which caused her letting go of his hair quickly, muttering an apology.  
'Don't… apologize you can do that.' He nodded and he ran his fingers through her hair one, to show. Too late he thought of the fact maybe she wouldn't like that herself, and he dropped his hand on the pillows.  
'Ced…' she mumbled.  
'Cedr-' he started but his nickname sounded different from her mouth, looking up into her eyes and he smiled.  
'Oh, I'm sorry… that was a little impolite…'  
'No, no! You can call me like that, if you want to!'  
He did not know why he was so happy with it, or why she could and his friends couldn't. But it just sounded so much better when she said it.  
'So… I can call you Ced?'  
'Off course you can. You can, others can't.' he quickly added.  
'Why can't others?' Cho Chang asked curious, she tried to catch his gaze and it made him smile and feeling light in his head. He muttered softly to himself. What on earth was he doing? Was he truly falling in love?  
'Because others…' he started but he lifted his shoulders after. 'Just because others can't and you can.'  
Cho smiled, though there was this asking look in her eyes and he looked at her, smiling softly and nodding to encourage her to ask her question.  
'About David..'  
'Yes?'  
'David, and you… you two were fighting.'  
'I didn't want to.' Was the only thing Cedric said and Cho smiled a little to him. He got warm inside by the seeing of that beautiful gentle smile and he took her hand in his, squeezing it softly.  
'Did you hear everything he said?' he asked then, and Cho nodded.  
'I was there already, before he pulled his wand. I came to thank you, for bringing me back to the commonroom.'  
Cedric smiled a little sad, running his fingers through his hair.  
'I can understand why he's mad at me.' He chewed his lip while playing with her fingers a little and then he looked into her eyes.  
'I don't.' she mumbled. 'He has no competition, right?'  
She seemed to think he did not even like her, and he wondered what he did wrong even though he never said it to her when she was awake.  
'Doesn't he?' Cedric only smiled a little mysterious, before squeezing her hand one more time and blowing out the candle.


	7. Unexpected

Chapter 7: Unexpected

The hospital wing was dark, Cedric laid with his head on the blankets and heard Cho breathe slowly. He was a little tensed, excited about her questions and the sudden darkness and he held his breath. Suddenly he heard her turn to him, rolling on her belly, her hair falling against his face.  
'Is there competition?'  
He remained silent for a moment and felt how she moved restless and searched for him in the total blackness of this night.  
'Ced? Is there?'  
She sounded like she just needed to know, and he smiled softly, moving himself so he could watch her.  
'Yes.' He only muttered and he took a deep breath, coming closer. He could barely see something but it was not difficult for him to find her soft lips. Cedric Diggory kissed Cho Chang, moved his lips softly over hers and first she froze. Then he felt her mouthcorners curl, and a hand sled through his hair. He knew it was alright, deepening the kiss. He just could not let her go, holding his breath the moment he tapped her skin with his tongue and made it more passionate. She just felt so safe, she needed to be here.  
When he finally broke the kiss they looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Hers were sparkling and he smiles. Then she crawled a little backwards. First Cedric shocked and he bit his lip. Did he go too far after all?  
But when he saw how she pulled away the blankets, to make space for him, he smiled and crawled next to her. It was completely innocent, he pulled her softly against his chest and closed his eyes. Her lips were close to his ear as she muttered a few words gently.  
'You need to sleep, you must be tired…'  
'Don't worry about me.' He yawned softly.  
'I care about you.' She whispered. 'Let me worry.'  
Her hand ran through his hair again, a little shy but he felt how his kiss made her more at ease in his presence. He placed a little kiss on her forehead.  
'You sleep first.' He mumbled. 'I will follow.'  
So she did. She looked like she felt safe in his arms and he really hoped that was true. Cedric waited till Cho fell asleep and by that time he could hardly keep his eyes open. Slowly they closed and his dreams took him to another world, with the same company as he shared the small bed with. Cho was in his dreams and even there she was all he needed.

When he woke up the next morning it felt strangely empty. The little Chinese girl wasn't next to him anymore and he wondered, if he dreamt everything that happened last night. Disorientated he gazed around, staring into the distance without really seeing anything till Madame Pomfrey came in.  
'Ah, Mr. Diggory, you finally woke up.'  
He coughed a little and searched for a clock. When he found one he shot up swiftly in shock, seeing the hour.  
'4 O'clock!?' He muttered. 'In the afternoon?'  
'You had quite a though night, I think.' The nurse said and she lifted her shoulders. 'In any case after today I will let you go again. I think you're perfectly healthy.'  
'And…' he started.  
'Miss Chang? You mean?' the lady smiled and she laid his clothes on the end of his bed, 'She has been here the whole morning but got called to her classes about two hours ago.'  
'But…she was here?'  
'She was here, and she had this weird dreamy gaze in her eyes…' Madame Pomfrey chuckled. 'I wonder where that came from.'  
Cedric sighed and shook his head laughing, jumping up and grabbing his clothes, planning to search for her.  
'Not so fast, Mr. Diggory, not so fast!'  
She had to examine him first and he sighed, annoyed and just wanting to go away. He needed to see Cho, he needed to ask her if she was mad about yesterday and if she meant what she told him. And he needed to… kiss her again.  
He must have looked dreamy because Madame Pomfrey snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.  
'Mr. Diggory? Hello?'  
'Uh? What? Yes?'  
'I'm done, you can go.'  
He jumped up again, jumping and running around grabbing all his stuff and his face was cheerful when he ran into the hallway, dragging his bag along.  
But soon he heard something, a scream, a soft, almost scared voice that sounded so familiar to him already.  
'Leave me alone!'  
Cho came running around the corner, not seeing him and he turned around confused, calling her name. But she did not stop and ran along. He wanted to follow her but at that moment David appeared around the corner as well. Cedric immediately knew he had something to do with him and stopped his friend, even though he was two heads higher than him.  
'What did you do!?'  
'Nothing of your business.' Muttered David and he tried to pass but Cedric was stronger and held the boy.  
'Tell it, now. What did you do to her.'  
A smile, almost full of triumph, appeared on Davids face.  
'I kissed her.'  
'You did what?' He asked shocked, grabbing his friends arm tight. 'You just kissed her, without any warning?'  
'Yes I did.' David hissed. 'And that's a lot braver than you are.'  
Suddenly Cedric had to laugh, pushing his friend away and holding his hands into the air desperately.  
'A lot braver then me? I kissed her, last night, and she does like it with me!'  
'What!?' David asked furious, coming closer to Cedric and gave him a push, threatening. 'You're lying. You would never do such thing.'  
'Well maybe I'm in love!'  
'Cedric Diggory? In love? Don't make me laugh!' Cedric yelled. 'You don't even dare to fall in love with someone! What if you hurt someone, like your father does? Well let me tell you one thing Diggory, you're exactly as your father is! Selfish, always getting what you want against any price!'  
There was a fight again, even before David really stopped talking. Even though both boys dropped their wands, they rolled over the ground hitting into each other. David slammed into Cedric quite nasty, being taller but Cedric was so furious he was on the winning hand when a voice sounded, screaming both their names.  
'Stop it! Stop it!'  
They both froze as they heard that and Cedric let go of David, rolling next to his friend on the ground with a bleeding nose, looking stubborn.  
Cho stood in front of them, squealing clearly unhappy.  
'You can't fight about me!' she called out. 'You just can't. It isn't your choice, not of one of you!'  
Cedric looked ashamed and David looked to the ground, avoiding to gaze to eachother.  
'It's only mine… don't you two think that's fair?'  
'Yes, and why Oh why, do I not doubt about who she will choose.' David mumbled unhappy.  
'Well, David…' she said. Cedric watched her and almost could see how difficult it must be for her to turn his friend down like this.  
'You're my friend but…' Cho swallowed. 'just my friend.'  
David stood up, not looking at one of them.  
'I see.' He said. 'You choose Cedric. I told you, you would. I knew it already. I don't even know why I tried.'  
'But trying is a good thing…' she said and she looked away from David. Cedric wondered why she did it, but it was clearly hard for her. Then the girl cleaned down next to him, taking her handkerchief again.  
'Your nose is bleeding.' She only said and she pressed it softly against it. He dared to look into her eyes for a moment, wondering what she was thinking.  
'You can choose him but you will end up alone, Cho! His father never learnt him how to care about others.' David suddenly said.  
A silence fell, Cedric did not know what to do right now. He couldn't be mad anymore, he just wasn't. And then the fact somewhere, how terrible it was, David was right…  
'David, stop it…' Cho said.  
Cedric looked up stunned.  
'And another thing.'  
'Stop it!'  
'SHUT UP!' David yelled and he stared at her, Cedric could see how he regretted his words but Cho let go of him, walking towards his friend and before someone could stop her she smacked him right in the face.  
'You shut up yourself!  
'But, Cho…I…'  
'You don't want to be with me at all!' she shouted. 'You only want to beat Cedric with something, isn't it!?'  
Cedric stared at her a little disorientated, not knowing such a little fragile girl could have such a temper. She clearly wasn't always shy but it gave him a warm feeling now she stood up for him like that. David turned around and disappeared, ashamed and embarrassed.


	8. A Moment In Time

Chapter 8: A moment in time

It was a Thursday, two weeks later. Cedric returned from his Quidditch training when he found Cho sitting on the stairs, a letter in her hands. She was crying softly.  
He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her while pressing his lips in her arm. The fragile being tried to stop sobbing, curling against him.  
'Cho, what's wrong?' he asked worried.  
'Nothing, I'm fine.' He saw how she tried to look brave but wondered at the same time why she was trying. The tears streamed down over her cheeks.  
'Yeah, you know I'm not going to believe that,' Cedric said rolling his eyes, and he squeezed her hand softly. After that his eyes got focused on the letter in her hand.  
'Bad news?' He muttered asking and Cho nodded.  
'You can tell me,' he said gentle and pressed a soft kiss on her lips which seemed to calm her down at instant. She took a deep breath.  
'My parents are getting a divorce.' she said then and the tears came again. 'I don't understand!' she cried out.  
He was silent for a moment, but then he caught her gaze and laid his nose slowly against her cheek.  
'Oh, honey I'm so sorry!' Cedric said, wrapping his arms even tighter around her, and rocked her comforting. She let him, sobbing softly against his chest.  
'They always were so happy, I thought. Of course they both worked a lot and I haven't been home much, but a divorce!' she sobbed.  
Cedric hummed to her softly, hurt was clearly visible on his face. Off course it was terrible news her parents were getting a divorce but to see how much it hurted her, almost ripped his chest apart. He wouldn't allow anything to hurt her, he protected her as much as he could but the knowledge he could not keep her from everything, made him feel so useless on the moment. Even though he knew he was not because Cho clearly seemed to be calmer in his presence. She was perfect. He stroked softly over her face and kissed her lips once again. She gazed dreamy in front of her and he kept rocking her gently.

Two weeks earlier.

'Cho Chang you are such a big cheat!' Cedric yelled laughing, his feet taping the grass when he followed her.  
'I'm noooot!' Cho shrieked in defense while she laughing tried to escape him. She just totally had soaked him with her spell. She knew she had cheated! They agreed on the lake, the lake! No spells!  
Wrestling with your girlfriend clearly wasn't such a good idea. Cedric told her she would never be able to take him down. Cho gladly took that challenge and the first one who would throw the other one in the lake would have won. Cho probably knew already she was so going to lose that, that she took her wand and soaked him right away instead of even trying to push him in the lake. Besides, she liked him soaked way too much.  
He grinned, his bare chest almost sparkling from the waterdrops laying on it. They were breaking the rules badly, both half-naked though he wore his pants, and Cho his blouse.  
'I will get you little monster!' he yelled.  
She hid herself behind a tree and he grinned full of triumph.  
'Now I will have you!' Cedric said, trying to decide which way of the tree to run to get her and Cho giggled. They moved around the tree a few times, Cho looked stunning in the blouse she borrowed from him. Even though it was way too big and hung upon her knees and was sticking at her skin because of the little swim she made. Sometimes he looked at her, how he could see her caramel colored skin through the thin blouse. Her legs were bare and also these he studied. She was just so beautiful he couldn't resist. He knew, she knew he was watching but she did not say a thing. He would ask her, once when they were dried up again, if she minded it.  
'I won't surrender!' she yelled and tried to escape again, but this time he was faster and closed his strong arms around her and Cho laughed, kicking for her freedom. She hitted him a little nasty and he peeped but it turned into a laugh quick enough.  
'Nooo!' She yelled.  
Cedric laughed quasi devilish and bit her neck soft. His lips touched her warm skin as well and he trembled.  
'You will pay for this!' he muttered.  
'Not the water!' Cho laughed.  
'Not the water,' mumbled Cedric, even though they were playing a game he refused to throw her in the water when she said she did not want to.  
'Than I will have to come up with an even more crueler punishment!' he threatened in the end and forced her to the ground. Cho laughed.  
'Which is? Just admit it, you lost from a girl, there is no way of restoring your honor!' she chuckled.  
Cedric huffed, cocky and charming as only he could.  
'That wasn't winning! That was cheating!' he called out and pressed her hands above her in the grass. He heard her giggle and could not resist to watch her, barely believing she was with him as she laid there under him and let him touch her. She was the most beautiful creature he ever met. Dreaming away he sighed softly, till she coughed teasing.  
'Euhm, Ced? Revenge?' she reminded him.  
'Oh right, REVENGE!' he called out loudly, a little red. After, he lifted up her blouse a bit and blew hard against her belly. She kicked again but he knew to avoid her now.  
'NOOO STOP THAT!' she laughed.  
'Never!' He laughed, crawled his lips over her belly for a second, before coming up and pressing them on her lips tight.  
She murmered content, and he combed his fingers through her hair for a moment, grinning afterwards.  
'Yout punishment, my eternal kisses!' He made his voice sound creepy and grinned like it was the most terrible punishment on earth.  
'That's not a bad thing!' she said.  
'Not?' He wiggled his eyebrows. 'Oh you watch me girl!'  
He kissed her again, pressing his tongue against her lips and grinned after, while his fingers tickled her waist.  
'Alright, alright I surrender!'  
'Ah no! Don't surrender! Let me keep punished you!' Cedric shouted and he brushed with his lips over her neck. He heard Cho hum softly, and saw how she closed her eyes when he came up.  
'Hmm, well you are really soaked though.' she grinned. He stared at her and rolled his eyes, still thinking she was so teribly adorable when she said that.  
'Har- har…' he muttered and he sled his tongue over her nose, showing no mercy while licking her face teasing.  
'Ah Ced! Gross!' Cho wiped over her nose. Cedric chuckled, giving her his special smile and he twirled his fingers around her hand.  
'Sorry, I could just eat you,' he muttered.  
'Well get yourself another snack,' He heard Cho say. But actually he focused more on her hands, which were sliding over his bare chest and he tensed his muscles the slightest, knowing she liked to watch.  
Then he brought his lips to her neck again, brushing them over the caramel colored skin gently and loving. It wasn't teasing anymore, though tender and Cedric laid his hand on her shoulders, massaging them softly and pressed his lips on her collarbone, crawling lower and lower very slowly. He heard her gasp and lingered on her collarbone for a moment, before going the slightest lower once again. Though when he felt her blouse he stopped, not wanting to do such thing without asking. His lips just touched the first button of her blouse when he crawled up and kissed her mouth.  
He felt Cho's hands ruffling through his hear, breaking the kiss slowly and he smiled at her, widely but almost a little apologizing as well.  
'You are the most extraordinary creature Cho Chang,' He rolled next to her, instead of on top of her. She appeared above him, her satinlike hair falling on his bare chest. Cho gave him her sweetest smile and he got so warm he thought it must have been able to see on his cheeks, glowing. Though then her look turned teasing and she petted his chest gently.  
'And you're the most soaked creature I've ever met!' was her answer, and she jumped up, ran away before he could grab her.  
'But not for long, when I catch you, you go straight into the lake!' he yelled and ran after her laughing, so warm from the inside and never felt so loved before.

One week after that

'You're stupid.'  
'No, you're stupid.'  
'No you are,'  
'You are stupid!'  
'Well you are…stupider'  
Cedric huffed and grinned directly after that.  
'Is that even a word?' he chuckled.  
'I don't know,' Cho seemed to be distracted and he saw how she twirled her fingers in her hair for a moment. 'But that isn't the point! I said you were stupid first, so you can't just say it back!'  
'Cho, let me explain it again,' Cedric took a deep breath and sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically and he really, really tried to hold his laugh. 'A library is to read books and not to call one another stupid.'  
'But I don't wanna be in the library!' Cho's voice sounded whiney and she almost, almost convinced him because she was just so beautiful and he smiled dreamy, though pulled a strict face quickly when she seemed to notice. 'I wanna go outside! Lets swim?'  
She pleaded with big puppy eyes, and he bit his lip but then he shook his head. Cedric had decided he wasn't good for her school results, so now he forced her to make homework with him an hour every day. He didn't liked it either but he would never forgive himself when he caused her bad results.  
'After homework we will go outside,' he promised and he ran his fingers through her hair.  
'And that's why I think you are stupid.' She answered and he sighed, looked down and then up into her eyes.  
'No you're stupid,' He huffed a little cocky.  
'No you argh….Ooh, you're good mister.' He saw how she frowned, groaned and he softly pressed his lips on her ear.  
'Make your homework,' He whispered softly.  
'No!' Cho closed the book and wrapped her arms over eachother, as a sign she really would not go along with the homework and he groaned, sighing.  
'What to do with you?'  
'You could kiss me?' Cho grinned. It changed something in his eyes and he smiled. Then he softly pressed his lips on hers for a moment.  
'Will you now make your homework?' he asked once breaking the kiss.  
'No.' She muttered and the next moment he felt how her book hitted his head and he huffed cocky when she stood up.  
'And I still think you're stupider.' she said and Cedric had to laugh so hard they got both thrown out.

And a few days after that

'CHO? WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL OFF? GET OUT!' He just walked outside to surprise his little Chinese girlfriend, who only expected him in a quarter. And now he found her and she was really, really high into a tree. To high.  
Cho looked down from the tree where she was climbing in, her hair fell half over her face and she smiled a little nervous.  
'But my cat is in it!' she yelled back. Cedric was still looking up breathing a little fast and grew slightly pale. She was so high! All kind of doom scenario's shot through his mind and he saw her falling already and muttered something extremely worried.  
He was already thinking of how to get her down properly, using wingardium leviosa or some other spell to get her back into his arms. Though he could not really think clear.  
'Cho, Cho….' Cedric gasped softly and tried to calm down his breathing.. 'Please, come out. We can find a professor, who knows some spell to get your cat out, but please, come out…'  
He was begging and saw she doubted but then she seemed to hear something, looking away from him again and he moaned.  
'I'm almost there Cedric, I will be down in a flash,'  
She indeed was down in a flash, Cedric yelling something when he heard a loud crack. The branch she had been standing on fell down and he could not do anything but watch her. Cho crushed down next to him and he gasped loudly hovering over her. He must have been really pale and she seemed disorientated while he fell on his knees laying a hand on her cheek.  
'Cho! Cho! Can you hear me? Baby?' he laid his other hand under her head.  
'SOMEBODY HELP!' he shouted, some people looked up disturbed but when they saw the girl laying some curious students already gathered.  
'Go away!' he hissed to them.  
Cho looked at him and giggled. 'You're pretty,'  
Cedric didn't know if he should smile at her or cry from being so worried and he stared over his shoulder. Luckily professors came running in a minute and Madame Pomfrey got brought at the scene right away.  
'She will be alright? She will be ok right?' He panicked, chewing his lip and gasping softly, his heart feeling like it got pulled out. He could not bear her hurt.  
'Oh Mr. Diggory, just a broken arm and little bump on the head that's all.' The nurse told him as if he was overreacting and if there was something he could not handle, if was when they told him he overreacted about her safity.  
'A BROKEN ARM?' Cedric yelled. She could be dying, she could get so hurt!  
Cho grinned, and he looked at her disbelieving.  
'Oh Ceddy, you are being so melodramatic!' she muttered to him.  
He stared at her and shook his head, almost shocked, mumbling something to defend himself.  
'Did you hear that?' he asked Madame Pomfrey.  
'She just hit her head Mr. Diggory, will be gone in no time!' The nurse lifted her wand and pointed on Cho's arms who made a satisfying crack and Cho squealed a little in pain when her broken arm healed again. He got dizzy himself and stroked his fingertips over her forehead carefully, like he could break her.  
'Well that's fixed, Mr. Diggory are you ok?' Madame Pomfrey asked.  
He did not say anything but he nodded and he could not manage to close his mouth. What if something got terribly wrong. He was just so impossibly scared to lose her and not one seemed to understand.  
'I think it's wise to lay down for a moment miss Chang, perhaps…'  
'I will take her to her commonroom!' He immediately said.  
Madame Pomfrey blinked, and she frowned a little. He looked back at her stubborn.. 'Well alright than.'   
The nurse stood up, and he saw how Cho wanted to stand up as well. Cedric was next to her in no time, holding her down and shook his head muttering a soft no. She was not going to walk herself. He lifted her in his arms and pressed her softly against his chest. It felt good to feel how she snuggled against him and he pressed his lips on her forehead, hoping she didn't was to scared.  
'And then she calls me stupider…' he mumbled and Cho burst into laughter, which made him smile. Carefully he pressed another kiss on her forehead.

Present

'Cho?' Cedric stroked some hair out of her face and tried to catch her gaze. She was so sad he could hardly bare it and he caressed her face.  
'Hmm?' Cho looked up half, her tears slowly had been drying. He kissed the dried trace of the salt tears and laid his nose on her cheek.  
'I love you.'  
'I love you too.'


End file.
